UPIC MAGAZINE STAFF - Clemson University · UPIC MAGAZINE STAFF: Natalie Mlodzinski – Graphic Designer Valerie Smith – Writer/Copy Editor Abhinav Gupta – Photographer Ben Morgan

UPIC MAGAZINE STAFF:Natalie Mlodzinski – Graphic DesignerValerie Smith – Writer/Copy EditorAbhinav Gupta – PhotographerBen Morgan – Photographer

TABLE OF CONTENTS

02 A Letter from the Assistant Director

03 Get to Know the UPIC Staff

28 Kara Robertson

30 Brian Callahan

32 Hunter Morton

36 Ryan Medric

12 Wanda Johnson

34 Katie Buckley

ISSUE 4

14 Kathryn Davidson

16 Ashley Fisk

18 Linda Harmon

20 Meredith Wilson

22 Kyle Sunderman

24 Sarah Lizewski

26 Crystal Bennett

04 Data

38 Serita Acker

42 Tyler Visin

40 Russell Hardee

44 Jesse Burdett

10 In-Conversations: Internship Discoveries

PIC PROGRAM

As one of UPIC’s original trailblazers, I hoped this program would have an enormous impact on Clemson

University’s campus. Now approaching our fifth year of programming, I am simply blown away by the program outcomes and student success. Though I conducted the preliminary research for the program, I never imagined that UPIC would produce such astonishing outcomes. Two such outcomes are that 100 percent of UPIC interns are able to verbalize the significance of their internship experience in relation to their future career goals and 95 percent of UPIC interns rated the overall quality of their internship as “Excellent,” in terms of connecting and applying their classroom knowledge with real-world experience. I am proud to be a part of the dedicated team of professionals who handle and monitor the ongoing operations of this magnificent and groundbreaking program.

The UPIC team provides an exceptional level of dedication to maintain and continually develop this stellar program for Clemson University undergraduate students. I have observed my co-workers staying after hours to meet with interns, provide additional workshops, facilitate mock interviews and review résumés for UPIC interns as they prepare for job interviews. The UPIC team meets on a weekly basis to plan, discuss and prepare for UPIC’s upcoming semesters and to ensure each intern is ready for success. Program evaluations are carefully

reviewed and the feedback utilized to make the UPIC Program that much better. UPIC has become a national model for on-campus internship programming, and I attribute this to the dedication of my teammates and the University’s senior leaders.

Each semester brings new ideas, innovations and challenges because the opportunity for continued learning and growth is ever present. A new semester for many UPIC interns means another rotation (and layer) of experience will be added to their career toolbox. The UPIC experience makes our interns more prepared and gives them the leading edge in many interview pools. I am continuously amazed with the UPIC interns’ success stories, ranging from landing a career with EPIC, MTV and Clemson University to notifications of acceptance into law and medical school.

I recall an intern, Michael Morrow, whose name would appear on my site visit charts often. Today, as I walk the halls to meet with new and current interns, I look at the engraved name on an office door in Newman Hall and it is Michael’s. He is now a Research Associate in the Food, Nutrition and Packaging Sciences department and an example that the value of the UPIC program continues to grow with each intern, each success story and with the advent of each new career. I am grateful and honored to be a part of a program that has been a catalyst to the start of many bright futures.

Caren Kelley-Hall, Ed.D., CPRWAssociate Director

UA LETTER FROM THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

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TROY NUNAMAKERDirector of Graduate and Internship Programs Interests: Automobile History/National ParksUniversities Attended: Wittenberg University, Clemson University

RESPONSIBILITIES:Manages internship programs and budgets, assesses program effectiveness and provides career development counseling.

CAREN KELLEY-HALLAssociate Director of the UPIC Program Interests: UpcyclingUniversities Attended: Lander University, Clemson University

RESPONSIBILITIES:Instructor for UPIC’s internship courses, conducts site visits and provides advising and counseling.

COLLEEN LASHLEYProgram CoordinatorInterests: Crafting/CookingUniversities Attended: Western Washington University

RESPONSIBILITIES:Coordinates payroll, orchestrates emails and assists interns with hours.

JENNA TUCKERAssistant Director Interests: Concerts/Music/Reading/WritingUniversities Attended: Clemson University

RESPONSIBILITIES:Assists with intern and mentor training, conducts UPIC site visits and provides career development counseling.

NICOLE DUNNEMarketing InternInterests: Communications, Marketing and Public RelationsUniversities Attended: Clemson University

RESPONSIBILITIES:Creates the monthly newsletter and marketing materials, communicates with UPIC mentors and interns, and answers questions about UPIC.

JAIME PHIPPSGraduate AssistantInterests: RunningUniversities Attended: Florida State University, Clemson University

RESPONSIBILITIES:Assists with internship site visitsand creates professional development opportunities for interns

LISA ROBINSONAssistant Director of the UPIC ProgramInterests: International TravelUniversities Attended: Cornell University, Boston College Law School

RESPONSIBILITIES:Conducts site visits, assists with mentor and intern training and provides career development counseling.

TONI HEDDENProgram Coordinator Interests: Good Campfires/Outdoor ActivitiesUniversities Attended: Western Carolina University

RESPONSIBILITIES:Coordinates payroll, orchestrates emails and assists interns with hours.

3

GET TO KNOW THE UPIC STAFF

UPIC PROGRAM REPORTFALL 2014 THROUGH FALL 2015

“Being a student manager allows for many opportunities interacting with fellow student workers and staff. It requires professionalism and critical thinking; This holds true for any work place I will pursue”

– Fall 2015 UPIC Intern

“I gained experience in a professional environment, team building skills and

enhanced my critical thinking” – Fall 2015

UPIC Intern

“Communication, organization and delegation is key with any career

I may eventually pursue and this internship definitely made me more comfortable with all three of those. Having to communicate

with large and small groups and being responsible for organizing and running a

critical inquiry class really helped me find the methods that work best to

keep myself on top of things”– Fall 2015 UPIC Intern

FALL 2014 SPRING 2015 SUMMER 2015

Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Summer 2015 and Fall 2015 interns cited “Critical Thinking” more frequently than any other competency during all three semesters.

COMPETENCIESIntern Quotes: CRITICAL THINKING

“Being a marketing intern for the Pearce Center for

Professional Communication will help in my future marketing career by giving me real world experience and have a leg up against other candidates when applying for

a job after graduation”– Fall 2015 UPIC Intern

ARTS AND HUMANITIES CRITICAL THINKING CROSS-CULTURAL AWARENESS ETHICAL JUDGEMENT

MATHEMATICS NATURAL SCIENCE SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY SOCIAL SCIENCES

23.6%25.1%25.7%

FALL 2015

27.1%

“Being in the Clemson Abroad Office, I have communicated

constantly with people of other cultures and designing materials that are culturally diverse. This internship

experience has helped me to develop respect and more of an understanding for other cultures, people, and places”


TOTAL UPIC EXPERIENCES

849 TOTAL IN PROGRESS

2014–20152013–20142012–20132011–2012

30%

30%

7%

19%

14%

UPIC INTERN BY COLLEGE

CAFLSCAAH CBBS CES CHEHD

100%of UPIC interns were able to explain the

significance of their internship experience in relation to their future career goals (as

defined by identifying a list of specific companies or professions in which they

were interested in pursuing).

95%of UPIC interns rated the overall quality of their internship as “Good” or “Excellent,”

in relation to connecting and applying their classroom knowledge with

real-world experience.

Fall 2014 Spring 2015 Summer 2015

61,624.81

47,684.88

68,741.32

TOTAL HOURS WORKED

“After working as an Operations Manager for the last 2 years, I have started to think that I will enjoy this career field after I graduate. Whether it is here or at another school I think that being an Event

Operations Manager is something that I will really enjoy” – Fall 2015 UPIC Intern

FA

LL

2014

SP

RIN

G 2

015

SU

MM

ER

2015

SP

RIN

G 2

016

– IN

PR

OG

RE

SS

SU

MM

ER

2016

– IN

PR

OG

RE

SS

489 TOTAL

87 206 19674 78 71N/A 20 33

FA

LL

2013

SP

RIN

G 2

014

SU

MM

ER

2014

223 TOTAL

SU

MM

ER

2013

53 TOTAL

SP

RIN

G 2

012

SU

MM

ER

2012

65,183.06

Fall 2015FA

LL

2015

290

2015–2016

UPIC INTERNS are 20%more likely to have a job offer upon graduation.

948site visits were conducted by

UPIC staff.

4

“Being a student manager allows for many opportunities interacting with fellow student workers and staff. It requires professionalism and critical thinking; This holds true for any work place I will pursue”


“I gained experience in a professional environment, team building skills and

enhanced my critical thinking” – Fall 2015

UPIC Intern

“Communication, organization and delegation is key with any career

I may eventually pursue and this internship definitely made me more comfortable with all three of those. Having to communicate

with large and small groups and being responsible for organizing and running a

critical inquiry class really helped me find the methods that work best to

keep myself on top of things”– Fall 2015 UPIC Intern

FALL 2014 SPRING 2015 SUMMER 2015

Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Summer 2015 and Fall 2015 interns cited “Critical Thinking” more frequently than any other competency during all three semesters.

COMPETENCIESIntern Quotes: CRITICAL THINKING

“Being a marketing intern for the Pearce Center for

Professional Communication will help in my future marketing career by giving me real world experience and have a leg up against other candidates when applying for

a job after graduation”– Fall 2015 UPIC Intern



23.6%25.1%25.7%

FALL 2015

27.1%

“Being in the Clemson Abroad Office, I have communicated

constantly with people of other cultures and designing materials that are culturally diverse. This internship

experience has helped me to develop respect and more of an understanding for other cultures, people, and places”


TOTAL UPIC EXPERIENCES

849 TOTAL IN PROGRESS

2014–20152013–20142012–20132011–2012

30%

30%

7%

19%

14%

UPIC INTERN BY COLLEGE

CAFLSCAAH CBBS CES CHEHD

100%of UPIC interns were able to explain the

significance of their internship experience in relation to their future career goals (as

defined by identifying a list of specific companies or professions in which they

were interested in pursuing).

95%of UPIC interns rated the overall quality of their internship as “Good” or “Excellent,”

in relation to connecting and applying their classroom knowledge with

real-world experience.


61,624.81

47,684.88

68,741.32

TOTAL HOURS WORKED

“After working as an Operations Manager for the last 2 years, I have started to think that I will enjoy this career field after I graduate. Whether it is here or at another school I think that being an Event

Operations Manager is something that I will really enjoy” – Fall 2015 UPIC Intern

FA

LL

2014

SP

RIN

G 2

015

SU

MM

ER

2015

SP

RIN

G 2

016

– IN

PR

OG

RE

SS

SU

MM

ER

2016

– IN

PR

OG

RE

SS

489 TOTAL

87 206 19674 78 71N/A 20 33

FA

LL

2013

SP

RIN

G 2

014

SU

MM

ER

2014

223 TOTAL

SU

MM

ER

2013

53 TOTAL

SP

RIN

G 2

012

SU

MM

ER

2012

65,183.06

Fall 2015

FA

LL

2015

290

2015–2016

UPIC INTERNS are 20%more likely to have a job offer upon graduation.

948site visits were conducted by

UPIC staff.

5

COMMON PROJECTS Mentor Quotes: CRITICAL THINKING

Of respondents 954 100%of Fall 2014, Spring 2015,

Summer 2015 and Fall 2015Interns were able to describe Critical Thinking and Ethical

Judgment as transferable skills and attributes gained

from their internship experiences.

95%of Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Summer 2015 and Fall 2015 UPIC Mentors rated how their intern performed

during the internship term as “good or outstanding” in regards to: Skill – Ability to think critically

and analytically.

Creating New Resources

Marketing and Communications

Overseeing Operations

Compiling and Analyzing Data

Presenting Information

Administrative and Research Work

Planning and Organizing


Mentors were asked to describe the common projects that students pursued as a UPIC intern:

Creating New Resources1

Compiling and Analyzing Data3

Marketing and Communications 2

Administrative and Research Work5

Presenting Information 4

Planning and Organizing 6

Students Ranking Order of Common Projects

6

Mentors described instances when interns employed specific competencies in their workplace. Short answers were coded for explicit references to eight of Clemson University’s core competencies: Critical Thinking; Ethical Judgment; Cross-cultural Awareness; Arts and Humanities; Natural Science; Science, Technology and Society; Social Sciences and Mathematics.

COMPETENCIESMentor Quotes: CRITICAL THINKING

“This is a skill that I will undoubtedly be able to take with me in any profession.”


Mentors referenced “Critical Thinking” more frequently than any other competency when describing student ability all three semesters.

From Spring 2015 to Summer 2015 Semesters, intern competency grew in Science, Technology and Society (+4%).

FA

LL

201

4

SP

RIN

G 2

015

SU

MM

ER

201

5

FALL 2014 SPRING 2015 SUMMER 2015 FALL 2015

26.2% 26.9% 29.3% 26.2%



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STUDENT INITIATIVE TOWARD COMPLETING TASKS INDEPENDENTLY

92%of interns exhib i ted

“good” or

“outstanding”in i t i a t i ve ac ross a l l

t h ree t e rms.

One Semester

Two Semesters

Three Semesters

Four Semesters

Five Semesters

MENTOR RETENTION

“Our Intern has continued to demonstrate professional growth during his third semester with our office. He arrives with a positive attitude and treats our customers with respect. He also has a solid

technical knowledge which is displayed in his day to day ability to

troubleshoot and resolve issues” – Fall 2015 Mentor

“Our UPIC Intern had a strong vision of how the PEER

student organization could grow, and it showed in her dedicated

work. She was devoted to making the organization

function” – Fall 2015UPIC Mentor

The vast majority of Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Summer 2015

and Fall 2015 mentors had worked previously with UPIC

interns. Only one percent of mentors were new to the

UPIC program. The majority of mentors had worked with

UPIC interns for two or more semesters.

1.4%

32%

33%

17%

17% 19%

5%

15%

14%

16%

FALL 2014, SPRING 2015, AND SUMMER 2015 FALL 2015

“Our UPIC Intern is an excellent asset to our program. She is willing to do any task and jumps in enthusiastically. She asks good

questions when unsure of something and is great at communicating her needs as well as information important to the program. She works hard to learn new skills when needed, is dependable, and easy

to work with. She maintains a professional atmosphere in all aspects of her role, which change often in our program. She is flexible

and able to get things done effectively and quickly while maintaining a positive

attitude. She is a joy to work with” – Fall 2015 UPIC Mentor

8

2015

95%of Fall 2014, Spring 2015,

Summer 2015, and Fall 2015 UPIC Mentors rated how their intern performed during the internship term

in regards to ability to grasp new knowledge/concepts/situation as “good or outstanding.”

of Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Summer 2015, and Fall 2015 UPIC Mentors

rated the student intern's overall performance during this internship

term as “good or outstanding.”

of Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Summer 2015, and Fall 2015 interns

rated their relationship with their internship site mentor as “good

or excellent.”

of Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Summer 2015, and Fall 2015 interns rated the overall quality of

their internship experiences as “good or excellent”

96%

OTHER STATISTICS WORTH MENTIONING

of Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Summer 2015, and Fall 2015 interns rated the practical skills gained

through their UPIC internships as “good

or excellent.”

of Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Summer 2015, and Fall 2015

UPIC Mentors rated how their intern performed

during the internship term in regards to understanding of

professional and ethical responsibility as “good

or outstanding.”of Fall 2014,Spring 2015, Summer 2015, and Fall 2015 UPIC Mentors

rated how their intern performed during the

internship term in regards to degree of enthusiasm, interest, and engagement in internship placement as

“good or outstanding.”

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N-CONVERSATIONSIINTERNSHIP DISCOVERIES: UPIC MENTOR KESHA WILLIAMS UPIC INTERN KELSEY MORGAN

FROM AN INTERN’S EXPERIENCE

Williams: Why did you want this internship?

Morgan: I wanted a professional internship experience that would give me exposure to a possible career in social media marketing.

Williams: How were you using social media before this internship?

Morgan: I used Twitter and Instagram. I followed a lot of the Clemson accounts on social media.

Williams: What questions did you have going into the internship?

Morgan:1. What is my job going to look like? 2. What am I going to be doing everyday? 3. Am I focused on one outlet? 4. What skills I am going to learn?5. What interests will this spark in a potential future career? 6. What will I learn that I didn’t know before?

Williams: What answers do you have now?

Morgan: I have a really good understanding of what social media is and how it helps an organization support its marketing goals. I picked up some new skills with this internship, like how to analyze trends and how to tweet from a live event. I also found the research on how different companies and colleges use social media interesting. This was the first time I had done something like that. It was useful to look at the social media of other colleges and see what I liked about what they were doing, how successful they were with student interaction and how Clemson could increase their own student interaction.

Williams: What were your goals for the internship?

Morgan: First and foremost, to learn. This was my first marketing internship and my first social media internship, so I expected the experience to be more learning than doing. I got lucky by being assigned a lot of projects throughout the semester, which I really enjoyed, and I was able to learn a lot through them. I also hoped to find a new interest in the field of social media, or more of a narrowed interest on a particular facet of the field.

Williams: How would you describe the social media culture at Clemson?

Morgan: Friendly and engaging when it is a topic that students care about.

Williams: How do you see Clemson differently now that you’ve had this internship experience?

Morgan: I see overall, we are very bright students. When I interviewed students each week, I was always impressed with how quickly and consistently I was able to find a well-spoken student. I was also pleased at how friendly everyone was. Even if someone did not want to be interviewed, they were always very polite about it. It’s nice to continue to see the friendliness that attracted me to Clemson. I also got to see it as a family [which] was reinforced by things I’ve seen from this year and last year ... something as exciting as a great football season and something as heartbreaking as the tragedies we have experienced. I’m impressed with the level of class Clemson has, and I’ve seen that through social media — the amount of support for each other they have shown on it.

Williams: What are your key takeaways from the internship experience?

Morgan: I definitely would like to learn more about the analysis side of social media. I got to do a lot of that this semester, and some of it was trial and error. I did not expect to enjoy the analysis aspect of the job so much. I also really enjoyed examining what other companies did well with their accounts and coming up with a plan on how Clemson could improve their own accounts. I had to work independently and look at different ways to analyze situations such as crisis management, reputation management and what is trending.

Williams: What do you hope to do next?

Morgan: Study abroad. Taking more specialized marketing classes. I’m still interested in social media or a way that I can incorporate social media with business and marketing.

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FROM A MENTOR’S EXPERIENCE

Morgan: Why do you find internships so important?

Williams: I think internships are a wonderful way to explore your future career. I had seven before I graduated from college, so I know how important they are. Those experiences helped me land my first job. I try to ensure that my interns get valuable skills they can articulate on their résumé and in a future job interview. I give them meaningful work and exposure to issues and trends in the industry in real-time.

Morgan: How do you balance a job that is very different from day to day?

Williams: I think keeping your goals in front of you, being flexible and listening are all very important to maintaining balance in this job. Social media and news changes from minute to minute, so it

is important I try to make sure the most important thing at that moment gets my attention.

Morgan: What advice would you give with someone trying to balance an internship and school?

Williams: Set goals at the beginning so you can walk away with something that shows what skills you’ve gained, projects you’ve managed and lessons you’ve learned. Communicate with your manager when you are unclear on a project or need more time to focus on school. Communication is key.

Morgan: What do you hope to do next?

Williams: The best is yet to come for Clemson, and I look forward to engaging as many students, faculty and staff that will help us tell that story to the rest of the world via social media.

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There is always something new to learn in the broadcasting industry. For Director of Broadcasting Communications at Clemson University and Translation Broadcast Director for Media Relations, Wanda Johnson, this industry is never boring.

Johnson’s work at Clemson University consists of many different aspects. Clemson has a way of broadcasting to make the University stand out from other schools, but Johnson and her staff also do work for places all around the state of South Carolina. Johnson considers herself to be a person, “who is always working to perfect something. I learn something new everyday.”

Johnson’s staff is made up of four students — three UPIC interns and one student who works in exchange for class credit, and the majority of their work consists of selling what her team calls “packages” to the media. Packages are a set of smaller videos her team has put together. Sometimes, the media will either take the package and strip it for themselves, or ask for the team to include more elements in the package. Johnson also writes scripts, edits reports, and shoots still shots and anchors for her videos. Occasionally, she will also write news releases that could be considered articles.

Johnson emphasizes how tough the job can be for students: “I’m able to teach what I know the best that I can, but there is so much involved and there’s so many levels to try to teach in one course. In my class, you have to turn four packages in one semester. We manage to come out with students who get it quickly and are

able to turn packages,” she said. “Most people are amazed that these students come out of a classroom and are able to do this.”

Johnson is especially hard on her students, as she expects them to be capable of taking on the real world once they graduate from college: “If you can’t do it here on your campus, then you definitely can’t do it out there. I’ll give them the toughest subjects. I might be tough sometimes, but that’s the way of the real world. I want them to feel the toughness from me instead of going out there unprepared. I want them to be ready,” Johnson said.

With a background in TV News for 20–25 years, Johnson worked for WCSC for her first television show in Charleston, S.C. When she left TV News, she went to work for the City of Greenville doing similar work to what she does now. At the City of Greenville, Johnson was in charge of a cable access channel without any staff. This contributes to her love for Clemson University’s UPIC program. “It gives students the opportunity to practice what they plan to do in an environment where they will be held accountable, but it won’t be as stringent as it will be in the workplace once they graduate,” said Johnson.

Johnson first came to Clemson University in Nov. 2007, and she started mentoring for the UPIC program in 2014 to have a staff of interns. Johnson hopes her interns have a bright future. She attends large conferences and showcases her UPIC interns — sometimes with USBs that she hands out. “I give my UPICs professional titles. When they leave Clemson University, their

“I might be tough sometimes, but that’s the way of the real world. I want them to feel the toughness from me instead of going out there unprepared.”

ANDA JOHNSONWUPIC MENTOR

MENTORING BROADCAST TIGERS

12

résumés should reflect that they are multi-media journalists,” Johnson said. She also said of her role as a mentor, “I love education. I love learning new things, and what better place than to be around the minds of young people who learn new things and don’t mind sharing it! I want to give and I want to receive.” It is rewarding for Johnson

13

to help her students get out and find positions. “I receive so much from students learning from me. That is the greatest gift of all,” she said.

ATHRYN DAVIDSONKClemson’s UPIC program provides a unique opportunity to gain real-world experiences that might not be possible inside the classroom. For UPIC student intern Kathryn Davidson, this is very much the case. A Fairfax, Va. native, Davidson is a current junior communication studies major at Clemson University. She has a minor in management, but also holds a strong interest in mass media communications and journalism. Through her internship with UPIC, Davidson has been able to join her academics with her interests and apply her skills to develop more as a professional in her chosen field.

“Balancing my time between my classes and jobs is challenging,” Davidson said. Davidson has classes twice a week and spends the majority of her time working with two internships, 20–24 hours per week: she works as a multi-media journalist for “What’s Happening Inside Clemson,” an internal video communications resource distributed to staff and faculty every week, and Clemson News, an external resource that sends out information to other news stations.

Most of the time, Davidson’s jobs consist of media tours when something big is happening on campus. She will go out with her mentor and get footage, ask students and faculty about what they’re doing on campus or set up interviews with other information sources, such as the Social Media Listening Center located in Daniel Hall. Davidson specifically works with the Social Media Listening Center to gain information about what is happening on campus and what others are talking about. Occasionally, she will do live, on-camera reporting or anchoring when her team produces

news shows, and she also does script editing and voiceover work. She said the work is sometimes challenging, but rewarding. “The hardest part is time-management. With two internships in the same department, I have to make sure I am doing them both evenly and as well as I can ... I’ve always had a sporadic schedule. News happens when it happens; you can’t schedule things,” Davidson said.

Clemson News produces videos on a weekly basis, but the videos normally have a theme and coincide together. During football season, Davidson went to the College Football National Championship in Arizona to watch Clemson University play against the University of Alabama. She was able to send back reports to Studio 62, a CBS/CW affiliate with television channels 7 and 62 in Spartanburg, S.C. Davidson said this has been her favorite experience with UPIC so far.

After she graduates, Davidson would like to work for a mid-market television station that has 40–45 stations so she can have the freedom to move around. Eventually, she said she wants to start a family and possibly move into media-relations at a university, so she can help other students the way her mentor has helped her. Davidson said she loves her work and wants to do it for the rest of her life, and she loves the experience Clemson University has provided to her. Without this experience, Davidson said she would not be as knowledgeable and experienced in journalism as she is now. “That’s what I love about the UPIC program,” Davidson said.

UPIC INTERN

INTERN. CAMERA. ACTION!

14

“The hardest part is time-management. With two internships in the same department, I have to make sure I’m doing them

both evenly and as well as I can.”

15

No matter what degree one may graduate with, professional communication is an essential skill to have when going into the work force. The Pearce Center for Professional Communication, housed in the Class of 1941 Studio of Daniel Hall, serves as a gateway for students to learn professional communication skills. Ashley Fisk, Assistant Director for the Pearce Center, UPIC mentor and lecturer of English at Clemson, sees her job as an exceptional opportunity to not only teach students how to use these skills, but also how to put them to use.

Fisk has loved the responsibilities of her job since beginning at Clemson University in 2003. She teaches courses on business writing and technical writing within the classroom, and also has the role of a mentor in the Pearce Center. Fisk became the Assistant Director for the Pearce Center in 2012 and currently remains so. Every semester presents a different set of challenges for the diverse group of students Fisk works with. “Each new group of interns have a completely different personality and its fun to have that change,” Fisk said.

Fisk’s main goal is to help student interns build confidence in the Pearce Center so that confidence continues to increase in the work place once they graduate. There is no such thing as a bad experience when working with the Pearce Center. Fisk shares how she once had a student intern who was uncommonly shy. After working a single semester with the Pearce Center, Fisk said she could place the student in front of

a donor and the student would be fine. “That’s how impressive she became with her skill set. This reminds me as an educator that sometimes shy students have a lot going on, and finally get the chance to gain some more confidence and takeoff,” Fisk said.

Although she wants to be there and guide her students, Fisk doesn’t want to mentor every step they take in their UPIC internship. Giving interns the freedom to work with a client without Fisk overseeing every detail allows the students to make small decisions independently. These decisions, which sometimes involve contacting a client for the first time, gives the students confidence or support to take over the project. If the student experiences negative feedback from a client, whether it be through email or face-to-face interviews, Fisk immediately begins to talk with the student and set up a plan to resolve the issue. Fisk said she always tries to put a positive “spin” on any situation and wants to give students the confidence to handle any scenario appropriately. “I try to help the student understand why the client is frustrated. It’s more important to me to make it clear that I’m here to support them [the students] because this is an opportunity for them first. The client comes second. If I try to step in and fix the problem, I feel like all the work and confidence the student has built will start to take a few steps backward; the student doesn’t feel like they can actually do that themselves ... even little steps of confidence are huge successes,” Fisk said.

ASHLEY FISKUPIC MENTOR

LEADERSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT IN COMMUNICATIONS

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Fisk’s other goals for her interns include giving the students the confidence to put an entry-level internship on their résumé, to feel like they can go into a business interview and converse with any client and maybe give a client negative feedback, and to understand how to navigate a team and to learn to collaborate. Two years ago, Clemson University formed a partnership with Adobe®, allowing Fisk and her students to work with InDesign®, WordPress®, Illustrator®, Photoshop® and Dreamweaver®, which in turn, has given the students even more résumé-worthy experience. Since she has been with the Pearce Center, Fisk has had students go on to: pursue law school at Wake Forest, get into the Master of Arts for Professional Communication (MAPC) program at Clemson University and other graduate schools, interview with Adobe® and go into the Peace Corp.

After working with the UPIC program since its inception, Fisk’s favorite component has been giving students experience with leadership roles and watching the growth development in her students, especially in those students who may be shy. Fisk said she loves to watch their confidence grow. “On-campus internships are so important for students to be competitive in the job market. UPIC is a great way to offer students this experience. It is often very hard for students in communication studies to get an internship because it’ll usually be in New York with very little pay — if the job pays at all. UPIC does a great job of giving students, specifically in the majors of English and communications, the experience in internships,” Fisk said.

“On-campus internships are so important for students to be competitive in the job market. UPIC is a great way

to offer students this experience.”

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L INDA HARMON

Communication is an important skill no matter what career field a student chooses to go into, but it’s even more important for those looking to go into publication and communication industries. Roy Pearce and his wife, Marnie, first endowed the Pearce Center for Professional Communication, housed in the Class of 1941 Studio of Daniel Hall, in 1989 to give Clemson students more opportunities to improve their communication skills. Mr. and Mrs. Pearce’s mission continues as the Pearce Center provides students with client-based advanced writing projects, including partnerships with Clemson’s Writing Fellows and UPIC programs. These partnerships help students like Linda Harmon gain experience in the publishing and communications fields. As a senior English major at Clemson University and Pearce Center UPIC intern, Harmon knows how important professional communication is on a daily basis.

A second rotation UPIC intern working in the Pearce Center, Harmon’s job has included working with multiple communications projects across the campus. She has written and edited articles and reports from other students and said she has also worked a lot with layout on Adobe® InDesign®. Harmon is proficient at navigating technology for the most part, as she loves jumping in and playing with the new software. Before her internship with The Pearce Center, she had little to no experience with InDesign®. However, she said her favorite aspect of the job has been the same thing that challenges her so much — getting the opportunity to work on so

many different projects. “My biggest challenge would be when I have to juggle multiple projects at once. If I’m writing an article for English Unbound, the English newsletter, while working on layout for the Pearce Center’s Annual Report, it can sometimes become difficult to switch gears and focus on one thing at a time,” Harmon said. She has written articles, conducted interviews, and even took photos for English Unbound. She said she has also worked with children for the Elementary Book Project, where she traveled to an elementary school in Centerville, S.C. and helped a fourth grade class publish a book of their written stories about their future careers. “Working with kids is awesome because it brings in an element of fun to work,” she said.

This internship has helped Harmon learn more about directing the program, and she has enjoyed the people she’s worked with: “Ashley Fisk and Lea Anna Cardwell have both always been there to help with whatever we may need help with. It is a very good relationship between mentors and interns,” she said. Harmon also said prior to her UPIC internship, she never had any experience in publishing and communications. This internship allows her to improve her résumé. “UPIC really opened the door for me,” she said. When she graduates in May, she plans on traveling to Italy, Paris, Amsterdam and London, and hopes to go straight into publishing or communications as soon as she can.

“It is a very good relationship between mentor and interns ... UPIC really

opened the door for me.”

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19

Clemson University is consistently ranked among the top schools in the nation for not only academics, but also for having some of the most happy students in the country. At Clemson, there is just something in these hills that makes students fall in love with campus and its community. Meredith Wilson’s educational journey is an example of the special connection of our campus, having completed her bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees at Clemson University. As Associate Director of Enrollment Management for the Clemson Abroad Office, Dr. Wilson continues her love for Clemson, overseeing the student process of study abroad and mentoring student interns in the UPIC program.

In her position, Wilson helps students with outreach such as marketing promotion and recruitment, advising students through the study abroad process, helping them apply to programs and then ensuring the students have the proper pre-departure orientation they need before leaving. She also manages the re-entry support after the students get back from studying abroad to ensure they have an outlet to talk about their experience. “A lot of the time, students will come back from studying abroad in a different country and other students will be jealous. So we make sure that students can always talk to us,” Wilson said.

Although she recently received the new position as Associate Director in Jan. 2016, Wilson has worked in the Clemson Abroad Office for over eight years, and she has mentored study abroad

EREDITH WILSONMinterns since the UPIC program’s inception — meaning this is her fourth rotation as a UPIC mentor. Wilson describes her mentoring system as an “open-door policy,” and said she usually places the interns in charge of a project and let’s them run with it. “They know that if they need any help along the way, all they have to do is ask. I want to be more of a support for them instead of micro-managing,” Wilson said.

After asking what a typical day was like, Wilson said there isn’t really a typical-day scenario. There are always a great number of things she is working on with her team, which includes managing enrollment. This work consists of analyzing student numbers to construct ways of increasing student participation and creating new marketing strategies and event planning. In this role, Wilson also hosts information sessions and presentations on campus, partners with other programs and works with Clemson’s Center for Career and Professional Development to host re-entry workshops and crisis management, like those related to the 2015 terrorist attack in Paris.

Wilson is also an inspiration to the interns and students she works with, as she discusses her way of stumbling into this particular job. She first came to Clemson University to obtain her undergraduate degree in Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management. She chose to stay at Clemson and get her master’s in Counselor Education with an emphasis in Student Affairs, and later on, a Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership. She has been with Clemson for

“We are really thankful for the opportunity to have UPIC interns in our office and to really work with such a great group of students each and every semester.”

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16 years. “I’m a Clemson lifer,” she said. “I knew after I left graduate school, I wanted to work with students and that Clemson was the campus I wanted to work with. When I applied for jobs, I applied for every job I was qualified to work for through Clemson, and this was the one I got. I completely fell into it. I have found out over the years that it really is a perfect combination of my tourism management undergraduate and student affairs master’s degree.”

Wilson goes on to say how much she has loved working with UPIC and its interns: “It is a great program because it breathes new life into our office,” she said. She gets ecstatic by the students who are excited to work there and by their passion for studying abroad. “I’ve had several interns come into this particular internship not really knowing what they want to do with their lives. But after the fact, they realize that international education is a field of interest, so when they graduate, they begin looking at

working in our field of study abroad,” she said. It is really rewarding for Wilson to connect students to something they can make into a career.

Overall, she wants her students to leave knowing they are good and valuable people, “who can and will make a difference in the world.” Wilson believes UPIC is a great program not only for the students, but for the mentors as well. “We are really thankful for the opportunity to have UPIC interns in our office and to really work with such a great group of students each and every semester. It is very rewarding for me as a professional and as a mentor to watch them grow during this experience, and to watch them become more confident and mature individuals, who are ready to go and conquer the world. I think that’s the reason we are here — to support students and to help them reach their end-goals. UPIC is a great program to make that possible,” Wilson said.

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YLE SUNDERMANKOne of the most exciting experiences for a college student is the opportunity to study abroad. Making decisions on where to go, for how long and what to study is not an easy process. Clemson Abroad aims to make the process easier, allowing students to enjoy their adventure of a lifetime! UPIC interns like Kyle Sunderman also play a part in making sure study abroad students

have what they need to make their journey a success.

Sunderman works in the Clemson Abroad office as a study abroad intern, but more specifically, he works with a third party organization called the University Study Abroad Consortium (USAC). USAC is made up of 32 universities in the country, including Clemson University, providing help to students who want to study outside of the U.S. On a normal day, Sunderman assists with day-to-day operations, involving office work and advising sessions with students, whether it be assistance with the application process, paperwork or selecting a program that fits the

students’ interests and academic needs. He said he considers this

advising to be

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his favorite aspect of the job. Sunderman also helps his coworkers set-up and work the Study Abroad Fair, hosted once every semester. “Every student can study abroad. We just do our best to fit it in their academic schedule so they can still graduate on time,” Sunderman said.

After studying abroad in Bilbao, Spain in spring 2015, Sunderman fell in love with travel. He is the first person in his immediate family to ever travel internationally and said he had a great time, taking courses and experiencing the culture there. But, his journey didn’t end there. He was able to visit 15 countries in just five months. Because his host family didn’t speak English, the experience also helped him further develop his Spanish-speaking skills. Sunderman said he hadn’t spoken Spanish since high school, but now he is pretty fluent. It was his experience studying abroad that gave him the desire to help make it possible for other students to study internationally as well. “By helping other students study abroad, they will be more globally aware and have all

those new and interesting experiences. This may be the only time we can get

to travel because, yeah, you might travel for business, but how much do you get to do [cultural stuff], in which you get to live abroad and live with a host family? I like to help line this experience up for people,” he said.

Sunderman is a Spanish International Trade Major — meaning his major is half business and half Spanish — and he plans to graduate in May. He said he heard about UPIC through an email he received searching for USAC internships. The UPIC program is unique because it allows students to work with people and build communication and work skills that align with a student’s major or career interests. “I appreciate that I’m not just answering phones and making copies. I’m actually able to contribute to my job,” Sunderman said. The internship has also given him important connections. He said he knows he can go to people for letters of recommendation if he needs them, and that he now has experience working in an office setting and working with customers and students. “I am glad UPIC has made this possible for me, and I have a great time doing it,” Sunderman said.

“By helping other students study abroad, they will be more globally aware and have all those

new and interesting experiences.”

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ARAH LIZEWSKI

As a marketing major, Lizewski uses her knowledge from the classroom to distribute and promote study abroad

posters and postcards all over campus...

SStudying abroad is always an unforgettable experience for students, regardless of where they decide to travel around the world. Many students are afraid to travel abroad because they feel they may fall behind in school. However, because of dedicated study abroad interns like Sarah Lizewski, this isn’t always the case. Lizewski, a senior marketing major, works hard to make sure study abroad experiences are tailored to all student needs.

Lizewski fell in love with the study abroad program after spending several months on a cruise ship traveling around the world. This specific study abroad program was called “Semester at Sea.” Lizewski explained, “It’s like a university on a ship.” The cruise ship consisted of 600 students, along with professors and staff, and it took them all over Asia, Africa and Europe. While she was enrolled in 12 credit-hours or courses she took studying abroad, Lizewski stated, “We took classes from port to port.” She also said she is the fifth person in her family go on a “Semester at Sea” program. “You really get a tight-knit community. It is like a family,” she said.

This unique study abroad experience was what led to her interest in a UPIC internship with the Clemson Abroad Office at Clemson. Lizewski heard about this internship opportunity through a friend when she returned to Clemson, so she immediately contacted the office and ended up getting the internship.

Lizewski’s main project as a UPIC intern for the last two semesters has been setting up, working and completing the Study Abroad Fairs, which takes place in the Hendrix Student Center

ballrooms. About 60 providers attend and discuss their study abroad programs with prospective students at these fairs. As a marketing major, Lizewski uses her knowledge from the classroom to distribute and promote study abroad posters and postcards all over campus, and she has also helped design the Clemson Abroad website. Lizewski and her team recently started painting various windows for the study abroad program in downtown Clemson, as well.

Lizewski also completes some smaller tasks like data entry in the TCEL program, assisting new student Orientation. “When students come to Clemson University for the first time and have Orientation week, they can come to different tables to learn more about Clemson,” Lizewski explained. She worked at one of these tables, talking briefly about the different programs. Last year, the study abroad program had around 1,000 students take advantage of the Clemson’s study abroad opportunities. Lizewski said her typical day in the office often consists of meeting with and advising students through the study abroad process. She says her team is currently trying to make the study abroad application process easier by placing classes on the online registration list. Through this change, students won’t have to “go back and forth between the study abroad office and their advisers,” Lizewski said.

Lizewski has worked with Clemson Abroad since the summer of 2015, making this her third and final UPIC rotation, as she graduates May 2016. Her UPIC experience helped her share her passion for studying abroad, while at the same time gave her valuable skills that are sure to stay with her after graduation.

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RYSTAL BENNETTCOne of the most refreshing things about attending college is having the chance to show creativity in projects, and sometimes the outlet for creativity stretches an individual’s time beyond college. Crystal Bennett has the opportunity to flex her creativity and work on Clemson University’s campus at the same time. A web content developer and writer for Creative Services, Bennett produces exceptional articles and manages other writers’ work across campus, which includes mentoring UPIC student interns.

Creative Services handles the creative side of the University brand. Every word mark and logo for Clemson University runs through the Creative Services Office. Creative Services also works closely with Student Affairs Publications on branding and other related topics. Creative Services manages publications such as Clemson admission’s publications, in which it has a partnership with Clemson World magazine, and the University website. This department serves as a great place for UPIC student interns who want to

work creatively and learn about the publication process.

Bennett has been in her position for seven and a half years, and has been a UPIC mentor for more than two of those years — working with around two UPIC interns a semester. “Clemson students are great. They bring lots of light, vibrancy and ideas. I always appreciate that, and they do great work for the University,” she says. In her role, Bennett also completes a great amount of writing, editing and management for Clemson World magazine. Their office also designs ORANGE: The Experience, an IPTAY (I Pay Ten a Year) magazine, but does not write for this publication. Creative Services is currently assuming the responsibilities of publishing Glimpse magazine, Clemson’s research magazine, distributed twice a year. Another one of Bennett’s roles is writing marketing copy for clemson.edu’s

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general admissions page.

This is what Clemson University considers to be the “front faces of clemson.edu.” She writes stories for the website and manages all of the stories from other writers across campus, which are also located on Clemson’s Newsstand website.

Bennett believes the UPIC program is a great opportunity for students. “It is not often that you get a job on campus doing something in a field that you are interested in. We don’t just give them busy work here; we drop them in the fire and say, ‘Here you go.’ We aren’t going to shelter them or have them make coffee. We’re going to give them real-world work. You will leave here with things to go in your portfolio,” Bennett said. She said her UPIC interns leave the internship with a portfolio consisting of ad copy from Clemson World magazine among other publications. The student interns also write stories for the Clemson

website and have recently written stories for a website featuring Clemson majors that will be launching soon. This website — clemson.edu/degrees — gave the interns working with Bennett the opportunity to write all of the content because it is a brand new website and no content existed yet. They will also leave with a lot of experience in editing various projects, video and strategic plans.

After the interns have completed their UPIC internship, Crystal Bennett says she wants them to “know what an office place is like and know what a good working environment is like. I want them to feel supported and loved. I want them to be able to leave with confidence to go and get an amazing job, and to go into a creative office environment and fit in immediately. They shouldn’t have to worry about how to do something or not because they’ve already done it and for them to know how to easily fit into that group environment.”

“We’re going to give them real-world work. You will leave here with things to go in your portfolio.”

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There are tons of careers one can select from as an English and communication studies double major. The trick is simply getting your foot in the door of the workforce. UPIC intern Kara Robertson achieved this large step as a first-year student in college. Now in her senior year, Robertson has spent four years working in the Creative Services office and has gone from the position as a writing intern to a marketing content writer. To no surprise, this internship has helped her set up a job for when she graduates in May of 2016.

Robertson spends most of her work hours writing a lot of profile stories: getting a story or an idea from someone, scheduling a meeting with the appropriate person and then coming back to the office to write the story. These profiles are sent to all kinds of publications such as Clemson Newsstand, the Clemson Home Page Banner or Clemson World, the Clemson alumni magazine. She has also written copy in a few brochures for promotional events like Spring Blitz.

“Writing pretty much sums up everything I do,” said Robertson.

Although most of her day consists of writing, there is never a normal day in the office. She spends most of her time drafting in the writing process and meeting with her mentor, Crystal Bennett, for edits and feedback. Robertson also conducts a great amount of interviews that don’t require her coming into the office at all. Instead, she connects with people on campus. “It is always fun to get to meet students and faculty who I would’ve never had the opportunity to meet otherwise,” Robertson stated. She has also conducted alumni interviews over email and phone.

In one particular instance, Clemson World had Robertson’s work published on The Students Who Are The Clemson Tigers, but then Creative

ARA ROBERTSONKServices was contacted by I Pay Ten A Year (IPTAY) to have this story featured in ORANGE: The Experience.

Kara Robertson’s favorite experience was during one interview with another Clemson student. Going in, it was just an average story — Robertson didn’t really know much about her. As they were talking, Robertson discovered that the student was a survivor of childhood cancer. “It was so emotional to hear her story. After we finished the interview, she left and then actually came back and said, ‘I am not done yet. I want to tell you more. I want to say how grateful I am to be here at Clemson.’ I was astounded at how much she really cared about sharing her story — and I had the ability to do that,” Robertson stated.

This is Robertson’s fourth rotation with UPIC. Since she has been in the Office of Creative Services, she has come into her own with a style and voice in writing. Robertson has learned a lot from Crystal in editing and receiving feedback.

Robertson now has a job lined up with a digital marketing agency in Charlotte called Red Ventures. Last summer, Robertson completed an internship there. She wrote websites within their Telco Vertical, such as AT&T, Vonage, Verizon and Century Link. “I wrote little screen ads that pop up on your phone as well as writing for their actual websites that help convert people to sell,” Robertson said. At the end of the summer, they offered her a full time position. She will be coming back to Red Ventures and doing the same type of work.

Kara Robertson is incredibly grateful for UPIC giving her the opportunity to work with Creative Services. “One thing I really like about UPIC is all the resources UPIC has in the Career Center. I’ve worked with Jenna Tucker a lot to look over my resume and do a mock interview and she is so helpful in giving me tips and advice.”

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“It is always fun to meet students and faculty who I would’ve never had the

opportunity to meet otherwise.”

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Agribusiness, the business of farming and forestry, is the number one industry in South Carolina and makes up a majority of the workforce in the state. A university that has deep agricultural roots, Clemson University provides programs to students seeking degrees in a number of agricultural fields, including the field of agribusiness. Clemson University’s Cooperative Extension is one of these programs helping students learn about agriculture and the business of it through agribusiness environments and labs. Cooperative Extension has offices in all 46 counties of South Carolina, and Dr. Brian Callahan, the Associate Director for Clemson Cooperative Extension, oversees the operations of them all, and also helps teach UPIC interns the management skills required in his job.

The extension service is an outreach arm of the University, delivering educational programs to the general public in an unbiased manner. There are programs such as Master Gardener, 4-H and others that anyone can take advantage of for little to no cost, which is a part of Clemson’s land grant mission. The extension service concentrates in areas for youth development, agriculture, natural resources, food safety, nutrition and agribusiness. Callahan explains that everything the service does ties into or promotes agriculture in some way, but also teaches healthy life-styles, the development of soft skills and water quality. All of these things, under a broad spectrum, fall under agriculture and natural resources.

RIAN CALLAHANB“It is a really neat system — an old system. We celebrated our centennial anniversary last year. The program is on a national level,” said Callahan.

The Cooperative Extension program’s goal is to educate. The program consists of 138 commercial agents who work with people who are trying to run a business. Some of these agents work with homeowners who want to raise a garden in their back yard or to learn how to keep honeybees. Callahan stated, “We’ve been around for a while; we’ve evolved. What once used to be mainly about farmers, home economics and 4-H now revolves around technology. It is no longer people with a shovel and a pitchfork. Now, it is high-tech computers and GPS. To be a farmer in this day and time, you have to be pretty high-tech.” These new advances are good not only for the economy of the state, but also for the students Cooperative Extension helps teach.

When speaking of his UPIC internships, Callahan said he likes to have interns who stay for several semesters, starting as second-semester, first-year students or as sophomores. He wants to teach the interns about the main concepts of Cooperative Extension during their first semester working here, and then keep the same interns until they are seniors. Callahan said he had over 100 applicants in less than two weeks last fall when advertising for Cooperative Extension internship slots. The program hired seven 4-H

“We very much use this UPIC internship as a feeder system into our actual

employment. We take it very seriously.”

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students last fall, and of those seven, three were UPIC interns. “We very much use this UPIC internship as a feeder system into our actual employment. We take it very seriously,” he said.

Like most all of UPIC’s internship opportunities, a Cooperative Extension internship is a great place for students to find out if a certain career is a good fit. Callahan’s personal intern is a second-semester sophomore and UPIC intern, Hunter Morton. Morton does not have a semester-long project. Instead, Callahan provided Morton with many different projects and tasks. Morton has made preparations for events and trainings,

whether this is putting together notebooks or getting supplies. Callahan said he hopes to give Morton a total experience in his internship in order to help him decide if he wants to work with Cooperative Extension after graduation. With Morton’s prior experiences with Future Farmers of America and the Boy Scouts of America, Callahan thinks Morton has the leadership skills needed to work in a position like his. “We are trying each other out. I already think very highly of Hunter. I want to find a place for him. He’s somebody I already know has the right skills — we can use him,” Callahan said.

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HUNTER MORTON

Working with the Clemson Cooperative Extension program can be a challenging job, as it incorporates various agricultural projects in all 46 counties of the state of South Carolina. Working alongside Dr. Brian Callahan, the Associate Director for Clemson Cooperative Extension, Hunter Morton, a second-semester sophomore and Agricultural Education major, has taken on the challenge as the senior director UPIC intern in the Cooperative Extension office.

Morton has had many different tasks in his position in Dr. Callahan’s office. He shared that most of the time, he will start the day answering phone calls and directing people to the proper agencies. He also helps Dr. Callahan prepare for meetings, evaluations, events and traveling. “It is good that the work varies from day to day because I don’t come to work and do the same things everyday. I really enjoy agricultural pursuits,” said Morton. One of the events Morton said he really enjoyed was the Sunbelt Expo Field Day, a week-long summer expo in Moultrie, Ga. Morton said he recently worked on the big dairy show at the LaMaster Dairy Center in Clemson. He helped them check in cows, set up for the competition and brought cows into the area rings for the audience to judge how the cows are built. Morton said one of his favorite experiences was helping with the livestock shows in the fall and during one of the recent weekends this spring. Morton comes from an agricultural background, but he said his background wasn’t with livestock. Learning how livestock shows work, how people judge the muscling of a cow and other related information helped him better understand this large industry in the agriculture field.

“In high school, I was involved with a program called the Future Farmers of America (FFA) and got to be involved in a lot of agricultural competition and learned leadership qualities. I gained a lot of knowledge from there. Being able to further my knowledge with Cooperative Extension has been really great this semester and last semester. I want to continue my education and build up to a career,” Morton said. With an agricultural education degree, Morton has the option to become a teacher or take the industry route and work with Cooperative Extension. “In essence, I love teaching students. I love watching them light up about learning new things. But in order to teach them, I have to learn myself,” he said.

Morton said when he first came into the Cooperative Extension office at the beginning of his UPIC internship, he wasn’t quite sure what to expect. A lot of people would come into the office with questions he didn’t know how to answer. Over the course of a couple of months, Morton said he was able to build up critical thinking skills that have helped him direct more people in the office.

Morton said his UPIC internship helped him find a potential path as a Clemson Cooperative Extension agent. “It is a good way to get my foot in the door, and I’ll get my name out there and help wherever I can. This will benefit me and the organization because I already know the ropes,” he said. Morton plans to intern with Clemson Cooperative Extension for the next couple of years to gain a basic knowledge of how the organization works by the time he graduates.

“Being able to further my knowledge with Cooperative Extension has been really great this semester and last semester. I want to continue

my education and build up to a career.”

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His UPIC internship will help gain not only knowledge for his future career, but also relationships in the organizations that may help him find a job after graduation. “I really enjoy working with Cooperative Extension. It has been a really great learning experience with Dr. Dobbins and Dr. Callahan. Being in the office has helped me grow as an individual, and I’m sure that it is going to help when pursuing my future career, whether it is or isn’t with Cooperative Extension,” said Morton.

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ATIE BUCKLEY KAn individual who has grown up on a farm has a unique outlook and often a greater appreciation for the earth’s environment. Director of Clemson Cooperative Extension’s Carolina Clear program, Katie Buckley, was raised on a farm as a child, and developed a desire to protect waterways. As a UPIC mentor, Buckley uses her passion and knowledge to give students hands-on experience in waterway protection and pollution prevention.

Established ten years ago, Carolina Clear is a national, award-winning program that partners with 40 cities and counties across South Carolina to protect the state’s waterways, which include its many lakes, rivers and streams. The program’s team looks at the landscape and type of water-fall issues these communities may have to identify audiences and reduce issues in the future. Cooperative Extension’s mission is to bring science to implied audiences and help put that knowledge to work. “We try to deliver both what we consider direct and indirect outreach. Our indirect outreach is a broad message about water resources, protection, pollution awareness and a sense of responsibility individuals can take to protect their waterways. Then we have direct outreach, which identifies the audience we need to work with,” Buckley said.

Buckley said one of the things they do is show homeowners how to create rain gardens or harvest rainwater to keep it from discharging into a stream. A rain garden is a depression in the landscape that is planted, which encourages infiltration. It is placed between a source of rainwater, such as a gutter, and the waterway it might discharge to. It could be a storm drain,

curb outlet or even a ditch along the roadway. Carolina Clear locates the depression and replaces the soil with those that are better at infiltrating rainwater. The soil acts similarly to a sponge. Buckley said they then use plant compost and ensures it has good organic matter to raise plants. The plants the rain garden produces use the nutrients in the soil and keeps it from moving downstream where it may lead to an algae problem. Buckley stated: “It [clean water] is important for the environment and the economy, but it is also federal mandate under the Clean Water act,” which is a federal law governing water pollution. Clemson University is the first university in South Carolina to be given a permit for their storm water discharges.

In addition to working as the director of Carolina Clear, Buckley serves a mentor for the UPIC program. Her current intern, Ryan Medric, helps Carolina Clear by working with various audiences at public festivals and events, educating people about rainwater harvesting and assisting with the events. Medric’s project this spring has been to discuss storm water and ways to manage pollutants before they get to waterways with Carolina Clear’s audiences. He helps in the storm water education program and identifying how we, as a campus community, can minimize the amount of storm water run-off that’s being generated on Clemson’s campus. He also uses the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) storm water calculator, to identify where Carolina Clear may be able to disconnect impervious surfaces and allow for treatment of that run-off to hold some of the water back and keep it from hitting the stream all at the same time.

“UPIC is definitely a win-win because students bring new ideas I might not have thought of.”

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water and why our waterways are so important to us as a campus and a community. It will be planted spring 2016, with the aim to have a full bloom by the 2016 football season.

Medric has been given the opportunity to meet with a wide range of people, from department heads to faculty to get input on the project and to generate conversation about Clemson’s campus and its impact on our local water resources. These opportunities have given Buckley’s intern, Medric, the chance to grow professionally. “I wanted to expose Ryan to some of the tools professionals and engineers use to minimize storm water pollution, so he can have this conversation with future employers. I want him to be more aware of the considerations of different treatments of best management practices,” Buckley said. The Carolina Clear Clemson Cooperative Extension program is looking to hire three student interns per year for the in-campus projects and hopes to build a community conversation about waterway protection. “UPIC is definitely a win-win because students bring new ideas I might not have thought of ... we really want to continue working with students because of the fresh ideas and energy [students bring]. The internship will build off what the students are learning here as student interns, and

it will apply to our projects,” said Buckley.

Another exciting project Medric is also involved in making is the University’s second, floating wetland, which will be located near Clemson Baseball’s Doug Kingsmore Stadium. The floating wetland is a float consisting of wetland plants that use the nutrients in the water. “The plants are in this floating matrix that are pulling nitrogen and phosphorous out of the water column. The first float’s plants are growing rapidly because the water is very nutrient rich,” Buckley said. The floating wetland makes for a visible display and an educational tool for managing some of the nutrient pollution. The first floating wetland Carolina Clear installed was in the summer of 2015 and is on the Walker Gold Course by the pump station and Madren Center entrance. The second wetland will look like an orange tiger paw. First, the Carolina Clear team will show the tiger paw unplanted to inform campus that Clemson will become a water-permitted entity as a campus.

The flowers will bloom year-round, with the hopes of starting a community

conversation about why the campus wants to control

pollution and storm

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YAN MEDRIC

Getting the public more involved with practices that benefit the earth is an important step in improving the environment, and a good way to inform the public is to get youth involved. Water Resources UPIC intern and senior Ryan Medric is majoring in Natural Resource Management and works for the Center of Watershed Excellence, which oversees the Carolina Clear program. As the first university in South Carolina to be permitted for its storm water discharges, Clemson University is responsible for the amount of pollutants within storm water run-off placed into the environment from water run-off on campus.

Medric’s internship has allowed him to help Carolina Clear educate the public on how they can lower water pollution, whether it is picking up their pet’s waste or ensuring their vehicle is running smoothly (to stop oil from getting into the water, along with other heavy metals). In his position, Medric has public outreach events, such as festivals and fairs. He has sometimes taught with an older group of adults, offering learning programs and classes using Carolina Yards, a program about sustainable backyards for one’s home. Medric’s internship has also allowed him to work with the Agricultural Museum and teach elementary school students. Explaining one of the demonstrations — used for both kids and adults — Medric said, “We use this big plastic mock landscape that has model factories, homes and streets. We use a spray bottle and demonstrate how water comes down, hits the landscape, goes into a creek and then right into a lake. We use sprinkles for pet waste and sugar for fertilizer.

When we spray the water on it, the water picks it up and goes into the creek.”

Medric’s most exciting experience has been creating the floating wetland creation project. Located in one of the ponds by The Doug Kingsmore Baseball Stadium, the end result will be a big, orange tiger paw-shaped mat, containing plants. The goal of the project is for the plants’ roots to go down into the water and take in nutrients and pollutants that the plants will then use for growth. Every year, the Carolina Clear team will remove the old plants and replant new ones. “It will be a good way to show all those tailgaters and anyone who walks by how green Clemson University is becoming. This is the main idea for the project,” said Medric. “The idea just randomly came to me when I was walking on Library Bridge, however, we discovered Clemson would not let us do that [use that location], plus the water had chlorine in it. We kept exploring our options ... I ran a proposal, used a map, picked some spots and then met up with someone in Clemson Facilities who said the project was no problem. This was really exciting for me.”

Another one of Medric’s projects is using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Stormwater Calculator, a computer program that counts soil types, precipitation in the area and land cover. The EPA Stormwater Calculator is used to determine how much water is hitting surface and running off impervious surfaces like parking lots, streets, sidewalks and even grass. For example, the calculator would calculate 99

R

“I ran a proposal, used a map, picked some spots and then met up with someone Clemson facilities who said the project was no problem.

This was really exciting for me.”

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percent of surface water and run-off because there aren’t any places for the water to go. The EPA Stormwater Calculator project’s goal is to show how much runoff Carolina Clear can reduce by disconnecting impervious surfaces from storm water systems across campus. The storm water would otherwise not get treated at a water treatment facility and cause pollution to end up in streams, rivers and lakes in the area. “Once I’m done with this, I am going to pick ten different spots on campus to redirect the water into things like rain gardens, barrel wells or bio swells, which are different things that help the water naturally infiltrate and recharge into ground water. The idea is to lower the impact the amount of water has on our streams,” said Medric.

Even with all these experiences, Medric’s UPIC internship with Clemson Cooperative Extension’s Carolina Clear has given him even more opportunities for professional career development. He attended a rain garden for professionals workshop in Charleston, S.C. on how to create rain gardens. Medric is also taking a class on erosion and sediment control, which is designed for professionals, not students. Because of this, it’s a class that most students don’t get the opportunity to have. Medric said his UPIC experience has given him the chance to enjoy these experiences and opportunities.

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Degrees in science, technology, engineering and math (commonly referred to as STEM) are known for their rigorous academic curricula. Clemson University’s Programs for Educational Enrichment Retention (PEER) and the Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) program aims to retain students coming into STEM majors, who might otherwise consider the degrees too challenging. Serita Acker, Director for the PEER & WISE programs and UPIC mentor, works to help these students not only take on these challenges, but also to learn the value of having a career in STEM. “There is a big demand for STEM students because it keeps our country on the cutting edge; technology and engineering affect us in so many different ways,” said Acker.

PEER and WISE will soon be reorganized, combining to become the Center of Science, Technologies, Engineering and Math. PEER officially started between 1985–87, with the WISE program starting in 1995. Both programs create outreach, recruitment and retention programs, in order to build a “pipeline” for students in the field. “We have our professional development, in which we offer our stack of credentials. We have our workshops to get people of diverse backgrounds to do community service, and we have our social events to welcome new incoming first-year students,” said Acker.

SERITA ACKER

A large part of PEER focuses on a mentoring program for women including African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, bi-racial or any other minority student. “We turn nobody away,” Acker said. “At the college level, we don’t have many minorities that consider fields in STEM ... most of us that major in STEM make very good livings, and it changes an individual’s whole economic outlook.” The mentoring program offers students the opportunity to meet other minority students from whom they can get encouragement. Acker said there may be diversity in general classes, but in the more STEM-focused classes, the student may be the only woman or minority and feel a little isolated. The department doesn’t want to lose students due to the thought that their major is too difficult or that they don’t have a network or support.

The WISE program provides networking opportunities through scholarships for participation in WISE and e-mentoring for alumni. There are also sessions for professional development, workshops, professional advising, academic study sessions and study hall. WISE provides outreach programs with the Girl Scouts, as well as summer academic programs and a program within Anderson School District Five to introduce girls to STEM. In addition, there is a living-learning community, located in Stadium

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Suites — Women in Science and Engineering Residence (WISER) — where female STEM students live, study and relax together. “I like to think of us (PEER & WISE) as the central location that brings students together and connects them to resources to help them have a good Clemson experience,” Acker said.

Acker has been with Clemson for 26 years now, working initially with PEER and then as the director for WISE in 1995, and she has been with the UPIC program since UPIC’s inception. Acker shared that the associate director of UPIC, Dr. Caren Kelley-Hall, approached Acker when it first started, asking her if she was looking for student interns. “The students that work as UPIC interns get a very good opportunity to help other students transition. They get the chance to help us formulate the kind of outreach and retention

programs we are going to have,” said Acker. Many of the UPIC interns are STEM students themselves, making their work even more helpful for the staff. “Mentoring is like taking a tour of somebody’s life,” Acker said. “You kind of show them the ups and downs and the places to go to be successful, and I love to do that with my students and interns. I love working with UPIC and the Career Center. To see someone come in as a first-year student and then watch them grow into a senior and obtain a degree gives me great joy,” Acker said. “I am glad and honored to be part of the UPIC program and do what I do.”

“We have our professional development, in which we offer our stack of credentials.”

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USSELL HARDEERThe field of forest management provides a lot of spontaneity in day-to-day operations because each day depends on the seasons of the year and the weather. Forest Manager of Clemson University’s Experimental Forest and UPIC mentor, Russell Hardee, manages 17,500 acres of University-owned land, that surrounds Clemson’s campus on both the north and south sides.

The Experimental Forest is used primarily for teaching and research purposes, but it is also a receipt-based organization, meaning the forest produces an amount of revenue that helps cover its budget. The Experimental Forest contains a natural resources inventory, used to identify sensitive areas and significant plants of special concerns, whether this is threatening endangered species or other plants that may have some type of importance. The management team keeps these plants documented and does not do anything detrimental to these specific plants or animals.

Different seasons and weather patterns call for different duties for the Experimental Forest team. “We won’t know if we have the specific weather conditions needed until that morning when the weather forecast comes out,” Hardee said. “There’s a lot of variability and it is one of the greatest things about forestry. You have to be able to budget your time, while simultaneously being capable of making adjustments on the fly; it is one of the jobs that are hardest to plan for. You just have to be ready for anything.”

Late winter and early spring means Hardee’s office oversees a great deal of control burns. These fires help with hazard reductions from wild fire potential, wild life enhancement and vegetation management. Within a week, the Experimental Forest will have a contract planter come by that will be planting some of the recent harvests on the forest. At other times of the year, Hardee and his team will do timber inventories, marking up areas and mapping areas for the timber to be harvested at the end of its growth

cycle. The forest management sells the timber from the forest. This means the team must stay in contact with their customers, timber buyers, wood buyers and loggers. If customers change their equipment or a logger goes out of business, the team loses a potential market class of products. “We need to keep an eye on that and be able to adjust our management. In your management style, business or whatever your task at hand is, you have to able to adjust to the new environment,” Hardee said.

The Experimental Forest team currently has three UPIC interns, with two of the interns graduating in May 2016. The third and newest of the three, has worked with forestry since the beginning of the fall 2015 semester. “One of the things I would eventually like to do is have three staggered interns — a sophomore, junior and senior — so that when the senior graduates, we can hire a new sophomore and keep that rotation going,” Hardee stated. “This will help them in assisting one another and stair-step mentor each other.” Since forestry has a broad spectrum of professions, Hardee tries to ensure the interns get a wide variety of experience. “They’re going to need experience in everything from carrying a drip torch on the prescribed burn to keeping their files and paperwork for the Sustainable Forest Initiative Certification ... I try to involve them in as much as possible. I find out what they haven’t had experience in yet and then fill in the blanks.”

Hardee also believes in giving his interns a lot of freedom to figure out projects on their own. He shows the interns how to do a project properly, and then demonstrates the incorrect ways of doing the project. After that, he lets the interns figure it out for themselves. “I think the best way to actually learn a system is to try it out and get some trials and tribulations to figure out there is no substitute for experience. The best experience is when you’re able to figure out the pros and cons on your own,” Hardee said.

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“I find out what they haven’t had experience in yet and fill in the blanks

on their experience.”

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For some, working outdoors is a challenging experience. For others, like UPIC intern Tyler Visin, there is nothing better than having the opportunity to work outside in a natural environment. As a senior forest research management major and business minor, Visin is in his second UPIC rotation with the Clemson University Experimental Forest as a forest technician.

Forest technicians handle a lot of manual labor like burning, cruising (a way to measure different areas of the forest and estimate its profit) and taking measurements in the woods, which takes a large amount of fieldwork. Between the constant measurements and numbers to calculate after the timber is sold, there is a lot of math involved with being a forest technician, and there are different formulas for each process. “A fixed area plot radius could contain 32.2 feet of trees we could tally. In order to determine if a tree is in or out of this plot, you must calculate 2.75 feet by DBH [diameter at breast height]. That distance is how far the tree can be from the center to be considered in or outside of the plot. Math is in everything we are doing. It isn’t complicated, but there is a good bit we have to deal with,” said Visin.

A normal day for Visin usually starts with a safety meeting in the mornings to discuss current issues the forest may be having. After the 15–20 minute meeting, everyone goes in different directions to work on their own projects. The Experimental Forest interns have long-lasting projects they’ve been assigned to as well. Since the previous semester, Visin has been working on a project

YLER VISINTin the woods called the Continued Forest Inventory. This project takes place every five years and gives information about how healthy the forest is and how well it has been growing.

Visin said his favorite part about his UPIC internship has been the freedom and flexibility. The first six months was a supervision and training period for Visin. He said he has been given more and more responsibility. Visin and his fellow interns are always encouraged to ask questions, but he also said his mentor encourages hands-on learning. He said his mentor encouraged him by saying: “Make decisions because you’re going to have to make these decisions in the real world.” While there is a huge amount of responsibility, the interns are allowed the flexibility of managing their own hours with classes.

Visin stated along with the flexibility, time management has also been the most difficult aspect of the job. Visin goes to school full time, has three jobs and plans on helping Clemson University host the STIHL® Timbersports® competition on the collegiate level. “Time management is a blessing and a curse. You have to deal with it, but then again, it teaches you to manage these good skills after school and between classes,” Visin said. He said of his job positions, he must maintain all three simultaneously. Since fall 2015, he’s been working with real estate, forestry consulting and in his UPIC position as a forest technician with Clemson’s Experimental Forest, all while going to school full time. The real estate company is out of Greenville and works with raw land like

“We can tell companies we interview with that we have worked with forestry for three years.”

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Visin loves the pay and financial benefits of UPIC. Without the experience and exposure he received with UPIC, he would not be where he is now: “We can tell companies we interview with that we have worked with forestry for three years. When it goes onto a transcript, it gets a little more real to employers. It puts things in a concrete manner for them to know I had certain responsibilities I had to fulfill. It is another reassurance that I can get my work done, and I followed through with it,” said Visin.

recreational tracks, timber tracks and timber investment tracks that all go along with forestry. Visin also interns with a forestry consultant, who was a real estate agent with the same company.

Visin said his mentor, Russell Hardee, has been really helpful, working with him around his class schedule. There really isn’t a set schedule for the day. “If we have homework to do one morning, Russell says, ‘School comes first, this comes second,’ so he gives us the freedom to take care of school and do anything we need to. If we have a class in the morning, we go to class and come back in the afternoon. He’s really flexible with hours, which is really helpful,” Visin said.

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ESSE BURDETT

“I think it is a great experience for students to come in with an awesome pay rate.”

JAmbition, hard work and determination are a few of the invaluable traits employers look for because they know these are the traits of a successful person. UPIC forestry technician Jesse Burdett has shown these traits and more, earning a four-year internship with Clemson University’s Experimental Forest, an uncommon occurrence for a student who was not yet a junior. Junior year is when students begin taking the required courses needed to understand the forestry and field techniques used in this position.

Burdett is a senior, graduating May 2016, who has been with Clemson University’s Experimental Forest through UPIC for two semesters. Burdett found out about the internship through his already established interest in forestry. Burdett shared how he was on Clemson’s timber sports team and that the team would talk about the access they had to all of the Experimental Forest’s equipment, such as hydraulics, which made it easier for the team to clean up and move wood.

Since the spring semester of his freshman year, Burdett was learning things within the internship he had not yet learned in the classroom, such as cruising timber — a way of measuring different areas of the forest, which helps in calculating the estimated volume of wood available to know the amount of profit from the timber. The huge learning curve was the most difficult aspect of the job for Burdett, but his determination and hard work paid off. “I didn’t like coming in and not knowing how to do the job. Everyone is running smoothly in the woods, and I was so shaky and rigid about everything because I wasn’t used to the process yet. It has been three years since, so I know how everything works now,” he said. When it came time for Burdett to take

his major-specific classes, his UPIC experience helped because he already knew the majority of the concepts — how to go out in the field, measure trees and write up bids. In a sense, he said he thinks learning in reverse made his classes easier.

Burdett said his favorite experience with the internship was having the opportunity to go out in the woods and be involved in the whole operation: cruising the timber, watching the bid get put together, seeing someone buy the timber he personally valued and watching a logger come in and cut it — both in thinning and the final process. Seeing his first stand of timber cruised, sold off, replanted and regenerated was an awesome development for Burdett, something very few students get to experience until they graduate and get a job. “Most of the time when you see logging, you think, ‘Oh my God, that’s awful!’ But then you see how fast the trees go through the regeneration process and realize that you are always growing wood,” Burnett said. He also shared how exciting it will be to see the trees he first planted make it through their first thirty years of growth. “I’ll definitely be coming back here in 25 years to see some of the stands I’ve planted mature into full grown trees, get cut and then replanted. It will complete the whole cycle of something I’ve started,” said Burdett.

Burdett has loved his UPIC experience. “I think it is a great experience for students to come in with an awesome pay rate ... Just learning how to interview is something. It is better for when you graduate and say, ‘I need this job,’” he said. Burdett also said he thinks his internship has been one of the best on campus because it fits so well with his career goals.

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Suite 314, Hendrix Student CenterClemson, South Carolina 29634-5120

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